What is up with BitTorrent’s Streaming App?

By Rishma Banerjee

BitTorrent, which is launching BitTorrent Live,  live streaming service targeted at mobile devices and is currently accepting applications from users who want to it. This service will be looking forward to integrating crypto-based tipping.

Justin Sun, CEO of TRON and BitTorrent, when asked about the app’s potential said,

“Imagine chatting with your favorite athlete, becoming immersed in a music festival, or meeting new friends to share your passions … Our strong foundation of decentralized technology will allow us to fulfill our vision of a boundary-free internet while being at the forefront of a new content experience.”

Obviously, live streaming is a departure from what BitTorrent’s is usually known for- pirated movies and cracked software. The new service is the result of TRON’s acquisition of BitTorrent, which is gradually integrating peer-to-peer downloading with blockchain technology.

Users, while testing will search for livestreams and interact directly with streamers. But the most interesting aspect is that users will be allowed to pay and tip creators by using the BitTorrent Token (BTT), which is a new TRON-based cryptocurrency. This feature will be gradually introduced over the next few months. However, it must be kept in mind that BitTorrent Live is not technically an entirely new product: the service has existed in various forms since 2012, but hasn’t been entirely successful. The introduction of BTT is a major addition, but it remains to be seen whether it will be enough for the app to compete with its better-known competitors, such as Periscope and Twitch.

Livestream tipping is however only one of the ways, in which you can use BTT token can be used. The token will primarily be used as part of BitTorrent Speed, where it will allow users to pay for faster torrent downloads. Early access to this service began in February, and it is set to become more widely available later this year.